Prepare!

Prepare!

As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Mark 1:2‭-‬3 KJV

God has always had a plan for the full redemption of man from sin. The plan of redemption was laid out at the very place of rebellion in the Garden of Eden. It took quite a few centuries for the plan to be put into physical manifestation, but God always kept reminding his people what the plan was, and how it would be made manifest. Today's extract is one of those reminders through the ages that God is a covenant-keeping God. If He says a thing, His nature prevents Him from lying about it, or changing His mind. 

And we see that today: God spoke about the seed of the woman in Genesis, and from Abraham to David, God sent a number of prophecies through the ages to remind us that He was working out that plan. Then Isaiah becomes one of the prophets to also lay out the process for the manifestation of the Redeemer. First, when the season comes, there will be a messenger from God Himself, to prepare the way for the Lord. Why would God need anyone to prepare the way for Him? As far as God reveals, it could be so that men's hearts could be prepared for the coming of the Messiah. It could be that so many other 'false' options had arisen and had deceived many, and this was God's way of making known who the genuine thing was. 

When you consider the physical manifestation of this messenger in John the Baptist, you know that he was indeed sent to prepare the hearts of men for the coming of Jesus. By the time Jesus was made manifest by John, men had heard a lot about Him because John would not keep quiet about Him. Is my message about Me or about the Messiah? Am I just celebrating the physical symbols and tokens of his presence or have I truly experienced the real presence and power of the Messiah? Is my life an altar of preparation for the manifestation of the son of God or a platform for my own views? 

It was John the Baptist then; what part am I playing today to prepare the way of the Lord? Am I a help or an hindrance? Am I a channel or a closure for the flow of the Presence and power of God? John the Baptist had only one message: REPENT, for the Kingdom of God is at hand. It is that message that this generation needs again. The enemy has filled men's hearts with other 'worthy' pursuits, trying to water down the message about the return of the Messiah. 

Let it be known today that no other message is fit for this time except this: the Lord Jesus returns soon. He is coming back, and my greatest assignment will be to be a herald of His coming, directing the hearts of men to what is truly important. Can God count on me in these end times? Let me just spell it out again so that there is no confusion: the plan for the salvation of ALL men was laid out by God, and He is faithful to his promise. However, He will not go against the exercise of my freewill. If I accept His offer, I get all He has promised. If I reject His offer, I also get what He has laid out as the consequences of my choice. Life is as simple as my choices and their eternal consequences. He wants a path into the hearts of men; would I join Him at work? Would my life be a loud testament to all that God can do: making crooked paths straight, laying out the divine purpose and promoting His perfect will in and through my life? Can God count on me? Can He count on you? His time of favour is here.